Crane boost at the Port of Felixstowe

The latest additions to the Port of Felixstowe’s fleet of quayside cranes have become fully operational. 

With the ability to extend over 22 containers across, the three brand-new, ultra post-Panamax ship-to-shore gantry cranes are amongst the largest in the world.  With twin-lift capability and heavy lift capacity of 85 tonnes, they take the total number of quayside cranes serving the Port to 29.

Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, which owns the Port of Felixstowe, commented:

“The commissioning of these new cranes consolidates our position as the premier gateway for UK deep-sea container traffic. As well as the most modern container-handling equipment, Felixstowe has an unrivalled location adjacent to the major shipping lanes, and the deepest approach channel of any UK container port.”

He added: 

“We are already capable of accommodating the largest container ships currently on order, and with further investment in state-of-the-art container- handling equipment, Felixstowe will be able to offer the operators of these ships even greater flexibility in the future.”

Construction commenced on the Felixstowe South scheme in May 2008, with the first phase due to open in April 2010. Felixstowe South is the only deep-water container development currently under construction in the UK.  

The new quayside cranes were manufactured by Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) in Shanghai and transported, fully erect, to Felixstowe earlier in the year, before commencing the commissioning process in March.  The Port is set to receive a further delivery of two ship-to-shore cranes as part of the same order in July 2008.

Source: Transportweekly